A protest organised by Kakoroch Janata Party (CJP) in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has triggered controversy over allegations that security forces used pellet guns against demonstrators. The march toward Parliament on July 20 demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET question-paper leak. NDTV reported that medical records from Safdarjung Hospital noted pellet injuries on several people, while Delhi Police rejected the allegation.

Hospital records cited by the report described pellet wounds on the right elbow and back of a 28-year-old protester admitted on July 20. Teenager Sahil Lochab was alleged to have suffered pellet injuries, including to his right eye, and underwent surgery. Sheikh Mansuri, 25, was also reported injured, with seven pellet wounds to his nose, forehead, eyes and cheeks.

Delhi Police called claims of pellet-gun use against peaceful protesters false and misleading. The Rapid Action Force was deployed alongside police, but the CRPF made no comment on whether pellet guns were used. Congress leaders called for an apology and action if use was ordered. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a bill providing strict punishment for question-paper leaks would be introduced in Parliament next week.

Mohammad Shahabuddin resigned from the presidency, citing physical illness, and Speaker Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin assumed presidential duties under the constitution. At a Friday press conference at the National Parliament Building, Hafiz Uddin said Shahabuddin submitted his signed resignation letter at 4:51pm on 24 July 2026. The speaker said he took over the responsibilities in accordance with Article 54 after accepting the resignation.

According to Hafiz Uddin, Shahabuddin wrote that he suffers from serious heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney complications. He has undergone bypass surgery, while a recent medical examination diagnosed autonomic neuropathy. The condition causes him to lose consciousness at times. Shahabuddin said his physical complications, physical and mental incapacity, and need for long-term treatment meant he could no longer perform the duties of the constitutional office.

Hafiz Uddin said the resignation letter had been ordered preserved in National Parliament Secretariat records and that necessary administrative steps were directed. He said he had also taken an oath to serve as acting president if required when sworn in as speaker. Addressing discussion surrounding the resignation, he said Shahabuddin had resigned because of physical incapacity and had expressed support and respect for the current elected government.

Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said no health certificate is needed to establish Chuppu’s illness. He made the remarks at a press conference held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Friday. Ahmed said there was no room for doubt that Chuppu was physically ill and added that he had occasionally lost consciousness.

Ahmed returned to the country on Friday after cutting short a trip to Thailand because of the possibility of Chuppu’s resignation. The report identifies him as the speaker of parliament. He had travelled to Thailand for medical treatment and returned two days earlier than planned.

According to the report, if a president resigns, the speaker serves as acting president under the constitution until an election is held for the post. The report also states that Chuppu has autonomic neuropathy and occasionally becomes unconscious.

Mohammad Shahabuddin, known as Chuppu, has resigned from the presidency, citing health reasons, according to his assistant private secretary H M Sagar. The resignation was confirmed on Friday, July 24, 2026. Shahabuddin said in his resignation letter that his medical condition prevented him from continuing to perform the responsibilities of the constitutional office properly.

He said he has long suffered from heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney complications, and had previously undergone bypass surgery. A recent medical examination also diagnosed him with autonomic neuropathy. Shahabuddin stated that the condition causes him to lose consciousness briefly on occasion.

In the letter, he said the physical and mental incapacity caused by the range of illnesses made it no longer possible for him to discharge the duties of president appropriately. He also cited a need for long-term treatment. Shahabuddin said his health situation was the reason for his decision to step down from the post.

Bangladesh Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Bir Bikram, MP, received floral greetings after assuming the duties of president, according to a report published on July 24, 2026. He took over the responsibility under Article 54 of the Constitution.

Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal, Chief Whip Md Nurul Islam, Attorney General Ruhul Quddus Kajol, and Parliament Secretariat Secretary Barrister Md Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan offered the greetings. They met Ahmed after he assumed the presidential duties and wished him success and good health.

The report said President Md Sahabuddin submitted his resignation letter to the Parliament speaker on Friday under Article 50(3) of the Constitution. Following that resignation, Ahmed, in his capacity as speaker of the National Parliament, assumed the responsibilities of president in accordance with the constitutional provision.

The eleven-party alliance said it will hold a divisional rally at Sylhet Government Alia Madrasa Field at 2:30pm on July 25. At a July 24 press briefing at the venue, Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, a Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general and alliance central leader, said the Sylhet event would conclude a series of divisional rallies that began in Rajshahi. He said residents were prepared to make the rally successful despite adverse weather.

Zubair said the alliance was continuing its movement to implement the referendum verdict and seek trials of “fascist Hasina” and her associates. He accused the BNP of failing to take an oath for a constitutional reform council and violating a written commitment in the July Charter. He also alleged that the government had abolished the judicial secretariat and Human Rights Commission and was making partisan appointments in state institutions.

Organisers said Jamaat-e-Islami chief and opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman MP will attend as chief guest, while LDP chairman Dr Colonel (retd.) Oli Ahmad will preside. NCP convener Nahid Islam MP and leaders from other parties are listed as special guests. The alliance said speakers would address Sylhet’s alleged deprivation, development disparities, state reform and the political situation, and announce a new programme.

Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University have advised students not to join protests at Jantar Mantar amid a student movement linked to examination question leaks in India. The report, published on July 24, 2026, said the Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, emerged from the issue and has become one of the country’s largest recent student movements. CJP protesters have called on students across India to join the movement.

In a post on X, JNU advised students, academics and other members of its campus to act responsibly and prioritize personal safety. Citing Supreme Court directions related to public protests, the university asked them to refrain from attending any gathering at or around Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

JNU also urged responsible use of social media, saying violations could lead to disciplinary action under applicable laws and the university’s code of conduct. It said members were expected to uphold academic responsibility and responsible citizenship. Delhi University had earlier issued similar advice to its students. After that instruction, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said universities could not “threaten” students.

Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has assumed the role of acting president after Md Sahabuddin resigned, leaving the presidency vacant. The report, published on July 24, 2026, said the speaker will perform the presidential duties under the constitution until a new president takes office.

Article 50(3) of the constitution allows a president to resign through a signed letter addressed to the speaker. Under Article 54, the speaker performs the president’s duties when the office is vacant or when the president cannot serve because of absence, illness or another reason, pending the election of a new president.

Article 123(2) requires a new presidential election within 90 days when the post falls vacant through death, resignation or removal. Article 48(1) states that parliament members elect the president. Hafiz Uddin Ahmed returned to the country two days earlier, cutting short a medical trip to Thailand because of the possibility of Sahabuddin’s resignation.

Opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman said injustice and Jamaat cannot coexist, adding that the party would make no compromise on morality. He made the remarks on Friday morning as chief guest at the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Dhaka district’s six-monthly Rukun conference at the IDEB auditorium in Kakrail, Dhaka. He said the party was made up of people, not angels, and urged supporters to identify wrongdoing so it could be corrected.

Addressing colleagues, Rahman called for caution and said violations within a tolerable limit would be corrected while allowing people to continue their duties, but serious breaches would require difficult decisions. He alleged that the government was ignoring the verdict of a referendum, arguing that no state system could endure by disregarding public opinion. He also alleged that internet shutdowns during July operations made it difficult to determine the actual number of deaths, and said his organisation had completed 12 volumes of a martyrs’ list.

Rahman criticised extortion, corruption and insecurity, saying they were obstructing investment. He stressed the right of people of all faiths to practise their religions freely. Other speakers called for organisational discipline, fulfilment of pledges, public outreach and activities based on the Quran and Sunnah. Male and female Rukun members from Dhaka district attended the conference.

Bangladesh President Md Sahabuddin submitted his resignation letter to National Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Friday, July 24, 2026, at about 4:30pm, according to the report. In the letter, Sahabuddin said he had served with devotion, honesty and full loyalty to the constitution since taking oath as the country’s 22nd president on April 24, 2023.

He referred to the constitutional crisis that followed the fall of the then government amid a student-public uprising on August 5, 2024. Sahabuddin said he sought the opinion of the Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court under Article 106 of the constitution. Acting on its advice, he said, an interim government was formed, which held a general election after consultations with political parties.

Sahabuddin cited serious illnesses as the reason for stepping down. He said he suffers from heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney complications, and has undergone bypass surgery. He said recent medical tests identified autonomic neuropathy, which sometimes causes brief unconsciousness. Citing physical and mental inability to carry out the responsibilities of the presidency and the need for long-term treatment, he resigned under Article 50(3) of the constitution.

Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has called for a transparent system amid student protests across India over question paper leaks. In a social media post published on July 24, 2026, he said a system was needed in which no student feels that their hard work has not been valued.

Tendulkar did not directly comment on the movement demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He instead stressed honesty, hard work and merit, recalling lessons from his father, a professor who taught and guided many students. Tendulkar wrote that failure can be accepted but cheating cannot, and urged people not to choose shortcuts. He said adults have a responsibility to build a culture that values effort over results and makes merit the sole measure of success. He added that students’ frustration is understandable if they believe their hard work has not been recognised, and said the aim should be to prevent any student from facing such a situation in the future.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he and his wife received death threats after he publicly commented on Israel and the war in Gaza. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he said the threats began before he became mayor and have continued since taking office. He did not identify who made the threats.

Mamdani said he had also faced similar threats while serving in the New York state legislature, which he linked to his criticism of US military assistance to Israel and opposition to the killing of Palestinian civilians. In a separate interview with The New York Times, he said legal proceedings should begin in The Hague against Netanyahu, referring to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. Mamdani later clarified that New York City has no independent legal authority to enforce an ICC warrant and that responsibility for such action would rest with the US federal government.

Opposition Leader of Parliament and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman will hold an emergency press briefing on the president’s resignation. The briefing is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 pm at the opposition leader’s official residence on Minto Road in the capital, according to a report published on July 24, 2026.

Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, Jamaat’s assistant secretary general and secretary of its central publicity and media department, informed the media about the planned briefing. He said Dr Shafiqur Rahman would make remarks regarding the president’s resignation.

Central and metropolitan leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami are expected to attend the briefing. The report does not provide details on the reasons for the president’s resignation, its timing, or the substance of the opposition leader’s expected statement.

Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal has described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of tougher action against those accused in exam paper leaks as a “hollow promise.” Modi said on Thursday that a bill containing provisions for strict action against paper leaks would be introduced in Parliament next week, and that fast-track courts would be established for such cases.

In a video message, Kejriwal said the Prime Minister had announced that a bill would be brought to Parliament on Monday to create fast-track courts for paper leak cases. He said the promise had already been shown to be hollow. Kejriwal said a CBI court had acquitted the alleged main mastermind in the 2024 NEET paper leak case. He questioned the purpose of fast-track courts if investigations did not produce evidence that could be presented in court. The former Delhi chief minister also alleged that there was a flaw in the Prime Minister’s intent.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharply criticized Delhi University’s instruction urging students not to join ongoing protests in India. In a post on X on Friday morning, July 24, 2026, Gandhi asked how authorities could dare to threaten students for exercising their democratic rights. He said the university must be held accountable over the matter.

Delhi University had posted on social media on Thursday asking students to stay away from “illegal gatherings” at Jantar Mantar. Citing Supreme Court directions, the university said gatherings and protests there are strictly regulated and that law enforcement agencies could take legal action against those joining unlawful assemblies. It said such participation could endanger personal safety, disrupt academic activities and adversely affect students’ future professional prospects. Against the backdrop of protests spreading across several cities in recent weeks, Jawaharlal Nehru University also issued a warning on Friday, asking its stakeholders to act responsibly, prioritize safety and avoid programmes at or around Jantar Mantar.